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Jenn
Posted on November 4, 2010
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L.S. 1. People’s erotic attitudes are as unique as fingerprints, and one thing we as viewers buy from any artist is his/her personal vision. So…strictly from your point of view, What’s erotic?
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T.W. I’ve always had a love and attraction to a wide variety and types of women of all colors, shapes and sizes, from my early youth to the present day. I think part of the attraction that people have to my work, is that the concept of “what is erotic” in my body of work is not so clearly defined. Frankly, I tend to be drawn towards women as subjects who find themselves to be the embodiment of “erotic” and daring enough to exhibit themselves in such a fashion before my camera. So in some sense I document those women who are most attracted to my oeuvre.
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L.S. 2. When did you first realize that Eros was an important part of your art? Describe your path from being a photographer to being an erotic photographer. How did you get from there to here?
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T.W. I had an epiphany in the spring of 1993. After so many years of being strictly a “commercial” photographer shooting for fortune 500 companies, I found that my creative energies would be better served working with a subject (women) that I was far more passionate about. Passion is what makes art great and the artist that makes passionate art famous.
Carla
L.S. 3. Your career has taken two paths. On the high road, you’re in private collections and art galleries around the world, and your work is published
in coffee-table art books. On the middle road you’re published in mass-market magazines such as this one, and you do fashion photography for Neiman-Marcus, etc. What are the pleasures and the pitfalls of those two paths?
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T.W. All pleasure no pitfalls whatsoever.
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L.S. 4. Who do you like? Which erotic photographers do you consider kindred spirits and in each case what aspect of their art most appeals to you?
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T.W. The short list that comes to mind at this moment includes; Helmut Newton, Araki, Gilles Berquet, Dahmane, Roy Stuart, Richard Kern, Bettina Rheimes and most recently Alejandra Guerrero. All of these artist have carved out a niche in the canon of modern photography that they can call their own.
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L.S. 5. As a follow-up, what aspects of contemporary erotic photography can’t you stand?
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T.W. I prefer not to comment negatively about any artist work in particular. Artist on a whole are all kindred spirits and it is not my place to be critical of anyone’s efforts within the context of an interview. Certainly there is work out there that I see daily that is redundant, boring and technically amateurish. I always encourage young artists to study the history of photography before they learn how to operate a camera. Without that knowledge and foundation, the results of their efforts are often fruitless.
Alexandra
L.S. 6. Lots of your photos deal with various fetishes, some mild, such as gorgeous shoes, stockings, lingerie… and some more extreme, such as BDSM gear, bondage, toys, large insertions. How is fetish important both to your art and to you personally? Are they just there for impact or shock? Or is it something deeper than that? Are we the viewers witnessing personal erotic exploration?
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T.W. Like any artist that explores the multi-varied world of erotica and all of the variety that sexual pleasure offers all of us, I have a curiosity about things that most people do not dare to portray in the production of a photograph. That is probably one of the aspects of my work that has become a hallmark. All passionate erotic photographs are personal in nature but do not necessarily reveal the personal pleasures of the artist documenting a particular sexual act.
Julie
L.S. 7. Let’s focus on those aspects of the female form most dear to Leg Show readers — feet… legs… ass. What makes for erotic appeal at each of those stops on the female form?
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T.W. To be quite honest, I do not find particular pleasure in looking at women’s feet, although I have learned to identify a beautifully arch through my many years of contributing to Leg Show and working with my former editor at Leg show, Dian Hanson. Now observing a great ass and legs in all the varying shapes, colors and sizes is another story that embodies universal titillation.
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L.S. 8. And as a follow-up, let’s hear some trade secrets: How do you as a photographer go about making average-looking feet/legs/ass appealing? More generally, how do you as a photographer go about transforming an average-looking woman into an erotic goddess? (We’ve seen you do so many times.)
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T.W. There is no way to make average looking feet look great in a photograph unless you put the foot in a 6 inch closed toe stiletto heel. Bodies can always look good depending on the how the photographer frames the shot. Having a superior knowledge about lighting, the angle of the shot and how to direct the model, often transforms the ordinary subject in to an illusion of extraordinary sexual appeal.
Layla
L S. 9. What’s happening for Tony Ward right now? What are your current artistic erotic obsessions?
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T.W. Directing films for Private Media Group, Barcelona Spain. Editing for my 7th book entitled “FASHION FETISH” to be released in 2011. Development of my first erotic fragrance and continuing to search for the next erotic subject.
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L.S. 10. What about down the road? What are the new erotic areas you hope to explore in the months… and years… ahead?
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T.W. I have recently entered the academic realm and have begun teaching Introduction to Photography at the University of Pennsylvania.
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L.S. 11. And finally… How do you hope your body of work will be remembered?
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T.W. Original
Renata
